UNIVERSITY    OF   CALIFORNIA 

COLLEGE    OF    AGRICULTURE 

AGRICULTURAL   EXPERIMENT  STATION 

CIRCULAR  No.  253 
October,   1922 

VINEYARD  PLANS 

By  FEEDEEIC  T.  BIOLETTI 


A  plan  for  a  vineyard  in  the  broad  sense  of  the  term  should  take 
into  consideration  the  capital,  experience,  and  skill  of  the  owner,  as 
well  as  the  climatic,  soil,  and  water  conditions  of  the  location.  It 
should  cover  every  operation  from  the  preparation  of  the  land  and 
the  choice  of  planting  stock  to  the  management  of  the  fully  estab- 
lished vineyard.  In  the  narrower  and  more  usual  sense  in  which  it  is 
used  here,  it  means  the  charting  of  the  position  of  vines,  roads,  irriga- 
tion systems,  permanent  windbreaks,  and  enclosures. 

In  making  a  plan  we  must  decide  on  the  number  of  vines  per 
acre  (density)  and  their  relation  to  each  other  and  to  the  points  of 
the  compass   (arrangement). 

Density. — The  more  vines  we  plant  to  the  acre  the  greater  the 
cost  of  planting,  staking,  pruning,  cultivation,  harvesting,  and  other 
vineyard  operations,  and  the  smaller  the  possible  development  of  the 
individual  vines.  The  fewer  vines  to  the  acre,  within  certain  limits, 
on  the  other  hand,  the  smaller  the  cost  of  these  operations  and  the 
greater  the  possible  development  of  each  vine.  Within  very  wide 
limits,  the  amount  of  crop  of  a  mature  vineyard  is  independent  of  the 
density  of  planting.  The  fewer  vines  to  the  acre,  the  larger  each 
vine  will  grow  and  the  larger  crop  it  will  produce.  Ten  small  vines 
produce  no  more  than  one  large  vine  occupying  the  same  area. 

It  is  to  the  interest  of  the  grower,  therefore,  to  decrease  the  density 
of  his  planting  until  he  reaches  a  limit  determined  by  the  possibilities 
of  development  of  the  individual  vine  and  by  the  cost  of  supporting 
very  large  vines  with  stakes  or  trellises. 

The  size  to  which  a  vine  will  grow  depends  on  the  nature  of  the 
variety,  the  climate,  the  available  water,  and  the  depth  and  fertility 
of  the  soil.  Some  vines,  like  the  Raisin  Muscat  and  the  Zinfandel, 
cannot  be  made  to  grow  very  large,  however  favorable  the  conditions. 
If  planted  too  sparsely,  therefore,  the  crops  of  the  vineyard  will  be 
permanently  small.  Other  vines,  like  Mission,  Emperor,  Sultanina, 
and  most  of  our  common  table  grapes,  have  great  possibilities  of 


1  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

growth.  The  first  crop  of  the  vineyard,  if  such  vigorous  vines  are 
crowded,  may  be  larger,  but  subsequent  crops  will  be  smaller  and  the 
running  expenses  greater.  The  range  of  density  usual  in  California 
is  about  from  300  to  the  acre  for  vigorous  varieties  in  fertile  soil, 
in  warm  districts,  to  650  for  small-growing  varieties  and  shallow  soil, 
especially  in  the  cooler  districts. 

Under  exceptional  conditions  other  considerations  apply.  In  cold, 
wet  regions,  dense  planting  is  advisable  as  it  promotes  shallow  rooting 
and  early  ripening.  In  northern  Europe  as  many  as  20,000  vines  are 
sometimes  planted  on  an  acre.  If  moisture  is  deficient,  a  few  vines 
may  give  good  crops  where  a  large  number  on  the  same  area  would 


Fig.   1. — A.     Kectangular  piece  of  land  laid  out  in  squares. — B.     Bhomboitlal 

piece   of  land  laid  out  in  squares. — C.     Rhomboidal   piece   of   land 

laid  out  with  rows  parallel  to  the  boundaries. 

fail.  Such  situations  should  not  be  chosen  for  vines  in  California 
while  there  are  immense  areas  available  where  the  conditions  are 
more  favorable.  A  few  varieties  of  table  grapes,  such  as  Ohanez  and 
Zabalkanski,  produce  little  unless  the  vine  is  given  a  very  large 
development.  In  Almeria  the  Ohanez  is  grown  on  overhead  trellises 
with  less  than  200  to  the  acre. 

Arrangement. — For  all  varieties  which  will  bear  maximum  crops 
when  the  vine  is  trained  to  the  form  of  a  low  bush  and  pruned  to 
short  spurs,  the  arrangement  of  the  vines  in  squares  is  usually  pre- 
ferred. This  allows  of  cross-cultivation  with  the  same  implements 
and  requires  little  hand  work  in  hoeing.  This  is  called  the  Square 
System  (see  fig.  1). 

The  only  other  arrangement  of  practical  interest  is  the  Avenue 
System.  In  this  system  the  vines  are  arranged  in  more  or  less 
elongated  rectangles,  that  is,  in  roAVS  which  are  further  apart  than 
the  distance  between  the  vines  in  the  rows  (see  fig.  2).  This  usually 
allows  of  cultivation  in  only  one  direction  and  should  be  adopted  only 
when  it  is  certain  that  the  benefits  are  sufficient  to  counterbalance  this 
objection.  The  objection  is  serious  only  in  land  badly  infested  with 
such  weeds  as  Johnson  or  Bermuda  grass, 


Circular  253]  VINEYARD  PLANS  3 

The  principal  cases  where  the  avenue  system  is  advisable  are : 
(a)     For  varieties  which  require  cane  pruning  and  which,  there- 
fore do  best  when  trellised; 

(&)     For  varieties  which  require  a  very  long  trunk  and  there- 
fore do  best  with  the  horizontal  cordon  method  of  pruning; 


SLO  PE 


->         TURNING    SPACE 

"  o  "  o  o  ©  © 


*    lift 
u 

< 


AVENUE 

I        1         ?        *        * 


Fig.   2. — Example  of  a  vineyard  plan.     Avenue  system  specifications. 

.czrvine;  *  =  border  tree;  o  =  water  outlet;    ■  =  trellis  post. 

Method  of  pruning  Cane 

Vine  distance  7  ft.  x  14  ft. 

Width  of  blocks  203  ft.  =  30  vines. 

Width  of  avenues  23  ft. 

Width  of  turning  spaces  30  ft.  (including  10  ft.  for  border  trees). 

Width  of  side  spaces  20  ft.  (including  10  ft.  for  border  trees). 


4  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

(c)  For  raisin  grapes  where  it  is  advantageous  to  have  wide 
spaces  between  the  vines  in  which  to  dry  the  grapes. 

The  avenue  system,  when  the  rows  are  at  least  12  feet  apart, 
facilitates  the  hauling  of  grapes,  boxes,  manure  and  other  materials 
in  all  parts  of  the  vineyard  and  is  convenient  for  tractor  cultivation 
and  power  spraying.  It  necessitates  less  handling  and  carrying  of 
table  grapes,  thus  preserving  their  keeping  and  shipping  qualities. 
It  is  suited  to  furrow  irrigation  and  to  the  growing  of  cover  crops. 
It  makes  it  possible  to  irrigate  and  cultivate  later  in  the  summer 
without  injury  to  the  growing  shoots  and  to  defer  the  plowing-in  of 
cover  crops  until  late  in  the  spring,  thus  obtaining  the  benefit  of  a 
larger  bulk  of  green  manure.  For  these  reasons  it  is  preferred  by 
some  growers  for  all  cases. 

The  distances  and  arrangements  which  seem  most  adapted  to  the 
usual  conditions  of  vine  growing  in  California  are  shown  in  the 
following  table. 

TABLE    1 
Vineyard   Planting   Plans 


System 

A 

Width  of  Blocks 

A 

Spaces  i 

A 

n  Feet 

t 

1 

2 

•-I 

3 

t 

4 

5 

r 
6 

7 

8 

Pruning 

Distance 

Density 

Feet 

Vines 

Avenues 

Turn 

.  Sp. 

Side  Sp. 

Head 

8x8 

642 

248 

32 

16 

16 

16 

Head 

8x8 

636 

200 

26 

16 

16 

16 

Head 

9x9 

504 

243 

28 

18 

16 

16 

Head 

9x9 

501 

207 

24 

18 

16 

16 

Head 

10x10 

406 

250 

26 

20 

16 

16 

Head 

10x10 

403 

200 

21 

20 

16 

16 

Head 

6x12 

565 

246 

42 

18 

16 

10 

Head 

6x12 

561 

204 

35 

18 

16 

10 

Head 

8x12 

431 

248 

32 

16 

16 

10 

Head 

8x12 

428 

200 

26 

16 

16 

10 

Cane 

6x12 

557 

246 

42 

22 

19 

10 

Cane 

6x12 

550 

204 

35 

22 

19 

10 

Cane 

7x14 

407 

245 

36 

23 

20 

10 

Cane 

7  x  14 

401 

203 

30 

23 

.20 

10 

Cordon 

'    7x14 

406'  ' 

245 

'    ;36 

'•  24  ■•'.- 

•'  ••-■'•i7i 

24  '  ' 

10 

Cordon 

7  x  14  - 

399 

203     • 

'  30 

2* 

■17- 

24 

10 

Cordon 

8x16 

313 

248 

32 

25 

17- 

25 

10 

Cordon 

8x16 

309 

200 

26 

25 

17- 

25 

10 

This  table  gives  some  suitable  planting  plans  for  a  square  40  acre 
vineyard.  It  is  intended  to  aid  in  deciding  the  various  operations 
which  should  be  considered   in  laying  out  a  vineyard  before  a  vine 


Circular  253]  vineyard  plans  5 

is  planted.  Each  column  represents  a  factor  of  the  problem  which 
must  be  settled  in  agreement  with  the  other  factors  if  inconvenience 
and  costly  mistakes  are  to  be  avoided. 

Column  1.  The  system  of  pruning  must  be  decided  on  first,  as 
this  will  determine  the  arrangement  of  the  vines,  the  proper  width 
of  avenues  and  turning  spaces,  and  whether  the  square  or  avenue 
system  should  be  adopted. 

Column  2.  The  distances  between  vines  and  between  rows  (ar- 
rangement) are  governed  by  the  considerations  already  discussed. 
The  examples  given  are  all  used  in  California  and  are  sufficient  for 
practically  all  conditions  here.  The  wider  distances  alone  are  suitable 
for  tractor  cultivation ;  anything  below  9  feet  is  inconvenient  even  for 
horse  work. 

Column  3.  The  number  of  vines  to  the  acre  (density)  must  be 
known  in  order  to  be  able  to  calculate  the  number  of  vines  necessary 
for  planting.  The  number  given  is  less  than  the  theoretical  number 
obtained  by  dividing  the  number  of  square  feet  in  an  acre  by  the 
number  of  square  feet  occupied  by  a  vine.  The  difference  is  due  to 
the  land  needed  for  avenues,  turning  spaces  and  border  spaces.  It 
varies  from  5  to  8  per  cent  less  than  the  theoretical  number,  with 
head  pruning,  and  from  6  to  10  per  cent,  with  trellised  vines. 

Columns  4  and  5.  The  vineyard  should  be  divided  into  blocks 
separated  by  avenues  for  convenience  in  working  and  especially  in 
harvesting.  Experience  shows  that  blocks  of  from  200  to  250  feet 
are  the  most  suitable.  Much  greater  distances  necessitate  expensive 
and  laborious  carrying  and  hauling.  In  irrigating  vineyards,  furrows 
about  250  feet  long  usually  give  the  best  results,  and  where  longer 
furrows  are  more  economical  they  can  cross  two  or  more  blocks.  Large 
blocks  are  especially  troublesome  in  trellised  vineyards.  It  is  a  great 
convenience  in  keeping  records  and  in  other  ways  to  have  all  the  blocks 
of  the  same  size. 

Column  6.  The  spaces  or  avenues  between  the  blocks  must  be 
wide  enough  to  allow  the  passage  of  wagons  without  injury  to  the 
vines  in  full  growth.  The  minimum  space  is  about  sixteen  feet,  but 
for  very  large  and  vigorous  vines  two  or  three  feet  more  is  better. 

In  laying  out  a  cane-pruned  vineyard  it  is  necessary  to  leave,  in 
addition  to  this  wagon  space,  a  sufficient  space  for  fruit  canes  between 
the  end  vine  and  the  trellis  post.  This  space  will  be  about  half  the 
distance  between  the  vines  or  a  little  more,  added  to  each  side  of  the 
avenue.  For  example,  if  the  vines  are  7  feet  apart  the  avenue  should 
be  16  +  7  or  +  8,  23  or  24  feet  wide. 


b  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 

With  cordon-pruned  vines,  a  similar  allowance  should  be  made, 
though  in  this  case  the  extra  distance  is  all  on  one  side  of  the  avenue. 

Column  7.  Wherever  the  wagons,  teams  or  cultivating  imple- 
ments have  to  turn,  a  sufficient  turning  space  must  be  left.  For  this 
purpose  at  least  16  feet  is  needed.  For  head-pruned  vines  planted  on 
the  square  system,  a  turning  space  is  needed  on  all  sides  of  the  vine- 
yard. For  trellised  vines  which  can  be  cultivated  only  one  way,  a 
turning  space  is  usually  needed  only  on  two  sides. 

With  cane-pruned  vines  an  addition  of  about  half  the  distance 
between  the  vines  must  be  left  for  the  trellis  post  and  fruit  canes. 
For  example,  if  the  vines  are  6  feet  apart  the  turning  space  should  be 
about  16  +  3  or  4,  19  or  20  feet  wide  (see  fig  2). 

With  cordon-pruned  vines,  an  addition  equal  to  or  a  little  greater 
than  the  distance  between  the  vines  is  left  at  the  side  toward  which 
the  cordons  run.  For  example,  if  the  vines  are  7  feet  apart  and  the 
cordons  run  from  north  to  south,  the  turning  row  at  the  south  end 
should  be  about  16  +  8,  or  24  feet. 

Column  8.  Where  cultivation  takes  place  only  in  one  direction 
there  is  usually  no  need  for  turning  spaces  on  two  of  the  sides.  Here 
a  side  space  should  be  left  for  cultivation.  This  space  should  be  wide 
enough  for  cultivation,  usually  about  ten  feet. 

Whatever  the  size  of  the  vineyard,  it  is  usually  impossible  to 
choose  the  various  widths  of  blocks  and  spaces  so  that  they  will  con- 
form exactly  to  the  conditions  given  and  still  utilize  all  the  land. 
There  will  usually  be  a  few  feet  to  spare  or  lacking  in  one  or  both 
directions,  however  carefully  we  plan.  If  the  excess  is  small,  it  can 
often  be  utilized  by  adding  to  the  width  of  the  turning  space  or  by 
widening  a  central  avenue.  If  large,  it  is  often  needed  for  border 
trees  or  irrigation  ditches.  If  not  needed  for  any  such  purpose,  it 
should  be  utilized  by  making  one  block  a  little  wider  than  the  rest. 
When  there  is  a  deficiency,  one  block  should  be  reduced  in  width. 

The  number  of  vines  to  an  acre  given  in  column  3  has  been 
calculated  for  the  case  where  the  extra  or  deficient  space  has  been 
utilized  to  widen  or  contract  one  block. 

It  is  possible  by  the  use  of  a  simple  formula  to  calculate  the 
number  of  vines  needed  for  any  rectangular  piece  of  land  with  any 
arrangement  and  any  width  of  unplanted  spaces. 


Circular  253]  VINEYARD  PLANS  7 

TABLE  2 

Calculation  of  Number  of  Vines  Needed 

Data  Examples 

1  2 

L  =  length  of  land  in  feet 1320  2000 

W  =  width  of  land  in  feet 1320  1000 

A  =  width  of  avenues 23  18 

T  =  width  of  turning  spaces 20  16 

S  =  width  of  side  spaces 10  10 

F  =  feet  between   vines 7  6 

Qr^feet  between  rows 14  12 

V  —  number  of  vines  in  row 30  35 

Calculations 

W  —  2S 
K=:rows  in  a  block  —  +  1 93  82 

B  =  number   of   blocks  =     ^7"  21"s+ AA 5.77  8.95 

F  (V —  1)  +  A 

G  =  acres  of,  land  =  LW  4-  43560 40  45.91 

N  =  vines  in  whole  piece  =  V  R  B. 

D  =  vines  to  the  acre  =  N  -=-  G 402  560 

In  example  1,  the  calculation  is  as  follows : 

R  =  { (1320—20)  -r- 14  }  +  1  ==  93  rows— 2  ft.,  or  92  rows  +  12  ft. 

The  number  of  rows  in  a  block  can  be  93  if  the  side  spaces  are 
reduced  to  9  feet,  or  92  if  they  are  increased  to  16  ft. 

B  «=  ( 1320—40  +  23 )  -f-  7  ( 30-1 )  +  23  —  5.77  blocks. 

There  will  therefore  be  5  blocks  30  vines  wide  and  one  block  22 
vines  wide  with  3  feet  to  spare. 

G=  (1320'  X  1320')  -r- 43560:=  40  acres. 

N  =  30  X  93  X  5.77  =  16098  vines  in  the  piece. 

D  =  16098  -f-  40  =  402  =  Numbers  of  vines  to  the  acre. 

By  having  only  92  rows  to  a  block  the  number  of  vines  would  be 
decreased  to  15,925  or  by  having  36  vines  in  a  row  and  only  5  blocks 
it  would  be  increased  to  16,278. 

In  the  same  way  the  number  of  vines  for  the  whole  piece  and  the 
' '  density ' '  or  number  of  vines  to  an  acre  can  be  calculated  for  example 
2  or  for  any  other  set  of  conditions. 

When  land  is  left  for  roads,  border  trees  or  irrigation  ditches, 
these  spaces  are  added  to  the  avenues,  turning  spaces  or  side  spaces, 
as  the  case  may  be,  when  computing  the  averages  A,  T,  and  S. 

The  number  given  per  acre  in  Table  1  is  based  on  a  convenient 
arrangement  for  a  square  40  acre  piece  of  land.     The  number  per 


8  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA- — EXPERIMENT    STATION 

acre  will  usually  be  a  little  less  than  that  given,  owing  to  the  space 
occupied  by  irrigation  ditches,  border  trees,  windbreaks  and  buildings. 

Direction  of  rows. — In  deciding  on  the  direction  of  the  rows  we 
must  consider  convenience  of  irrigation,  cultivation,  and  hauling, 
economy  of  spacing,  and  the  effects  of  the  wind  and  sun  on  the  vine 
and  its  crop. 

Where  the  square  system  is  used,  it  is  simply  a  question  of  con- 
venience and  economy  of  spacing.  If  the  land  is  a  regular  rectangle 
it  is  most  convenient  to  run  the  rows  parallel  to  the  boundaries  (see 
fig.  1A).  If  it  is  regular  but  slightly  diamond  shaped,  that  is,  with 
corners  which  are  not  exact  right  angles,  the  same  method  is  also 
advisable  as  it  avoids  inconvenient  short  rows  and  irregular  blocks 
and  turning  spaces  (see  fig.  1C). 

This  system  makes  the  rows  of  vines  oblique  and  the  width  be- 
tween rows  is  narrowed.  In  figure  1C,  the  angle  is  64°  and  the  culti- 
vation space  is  decreased  from  10  feet  to  9  feet.  By  increasing  the 
distance  between  the  vines  to  10  ft.  11  in.  the  cultivation  space 
would  still  be  10  ft.  When  the  angle  reaches  60°  the  arrangement  of 
the  vines  will  be  in  equilateral  triangles  and  there  will  be  cultivation 
spaces  8  ft.  9.6  in.  in  three  directions.  When  the  angle  is  less  than 
60°  the  rectangular  method  shown  in  figure  IB  is  most  convenient. 

If  the  piece  of  land  is  irregular  it  is  best  to  use  a  main  road,  or  a 
long  straight  side,  if  there  is  one,  as  a  base  line  and  lay  out  the  rows 
and  blocks  at  right  angles  to  it.  In  default  of  this,  a  base  line  can 
be  run  along  the  longest  axis. 

When  the  avenue  system  is  used,  the  direction  of  the  rows  requires 
careful  consideration   (see  figures  2  and  4). 

Where  irrigation  is  practiced,  it  is  the  deciding  factor.  If  the  water 
can  be  run  in  only  one  direction  this  is  the  direction  in  which  the 
rows  must  go.  It  is  often  possible,  however,  to  choose  between  two  or 
more  directions  of  irrigation  and  to  grade  the  land  accordingly.  Where 
the  land  is  nearly  level  and  the  irrigation  furrows  short,  this  is  usually 
possible  without  great  expense.  In  such  cases  other  considerations 
apply. 

An  important  factor  of  choice  is  the  direction  of  the  prevailing 
winds,  especially  if  these  are  fairly  strong.  In  such  cases  the  rows 
should  run  as  nearly  as  possible  in  the  direction  of  these  winds, 
particularly  if  the  vines  are  to  be  trellised.  This  diminishes  the 
amount  of  damage  from  broken  shoots  in  the  spring  and  keeps  the 
leafy  shoots  where  they  shade  the  crop  during  the  summer.  It  also 
tends  to  keep  the  growth  of  the  vines  in  the  row  instead  of  spreading 
out  where  they  would  be  injured  in  cultivation. 


Circular  253]  VINEYARD  PLANS  9 

Another  important  factor  is  the  influence  of  the  direct  rays  of  the 
sun  on  the  ripening  and  quality  of  the  grapes.  In  the  cooler  regions 
the  direction  north  to  south  is  most  favorable  from  this  point  of  view. 
When  trellised  vines  are  growing  in  this  direction,  the  grapes  are 
exposed  to  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun  in  the  early  morning  and  the 
late  afternoon  and  shaded  in  the  middle  of  the  day.  This  tends  to 
ripen  them  early  by  increasing  the  amount  of  heat  to  which  they  are 
subjected  and  to  improve  their  quality  by  equalizing  the  temperature 
during  the  day. 

In  the  hotter  regions  a  west  to  east  direction  is  often  more  favor- 
able because  it  tends  to  shade  the  grapes  from  the  sun  during  the 
hottest  part  of  the  day,  the  early  afternoon.  The  hot  sun  from  2  to  4 
p.  m.  is  a  frequent  cause  of  sunburn,  especially  in  regions  where  west 
winds  are  severe. 

For  cordon  vines  a  north  to  south  direction  has  the  advantage  of 
exposing  the  bare  trunk  less  to  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun,  especially 
during  the  first  three  or  four  years  when  the  cordons  are  incomplete. 

In  vineyards  where  the  grapes  are  dried,  an  east  to  west  direction 
of  the  rows  has  the  advantage  of  making  it  possible  to  expose  the 
trays  more  completely  and  for  a  longer  part  of  the  day  to  the  sun. 
This  is  of  most  importance  in  the  colder  regions  and  with  late  grapes. 

It  is  seldom  possible  to  give  the  rows  the  most  favorable  direction 
from  all  these  points  of  view ;  in  each  case  the  best  possible  compromise 
should  be  made. 

In  most  cases  in  the  coast  valleys  the  direction  north  to  south  is 
best  in  locations  protected  from  strong  west  winds.  In  the  hotter 
interior  the  direction  west  to  east  is  usually  preferrable,  except  for 
cordons  where  a  north  to  south  direction  is  to  be  preferred  wherever 
the  west  winds  are  not  too  strong.  Cordons  should  never  be  used 
except  with  very  vigorous  varieties  and  in  rich  well-watered  soil,  and 
in  these  cases  the  danger  of  sunburn  from  the  afternoon  sun  is  not 
great. 

Where  the  land  is  very  irregular,  as  in  a  hilly  country,  no  special 
rule  can  be  applied  to  the  whole  vineyard.  Each  piece  must  be  con- 
sidered as  a  special  case  and  the  method  of  laying  out  determined 
by  its  special  circumstances  without  reference  to  the  other  pieces.  . 

Contour  planting. — For  rolling  or  hilly  land  where  grading  for 
cultivation  or  irrigation  in  straight  rows  is  impracticable  it  is  often 
advisable  to  plant  the  vines  in  rows  determined  by  the  contour  lines. 
An  example  of  how  this  can  be  done  is  given  in  figure  3,  representing 
a  small  contour  vineyard  laid  out  by  the  Irrigation  Division  of  the 
Branch  of  the  College  of  Agriculture  at  Davis. 


10 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


The  westerly  part  of  the  land  in  figure  3  is  a  hillside  with  an 
easterly  slope  of  about  seven  feet  in  a  hundred,  which  is  too  steep 
for  irrigation  down  the  main  slope.  The  easterly  or  lower  part  has 
a  gentle  northerly  slope  which  is  just  about  right  for  irrigation. 

The  grade  on  which  vines  should  be  set  when  using  the  contour 
system  depends  upon  the  soil,  being  much  flatter  with  heavy  soils, 
to  permit  the  irrigation  water  to  soak  well  into  the  ground,  than  on 
sandy  soils,  although  on  sandy  soils  care  should  be  taken  to  keep  the 
grades  of  the  furrows  low  enough  to  avoid  erosion. 


Vines'plunted   on  qrade 
of  1  foot  per  100  feet. 
Length  of  iowi  160  feet. 
CONTOUR     PLANTING-VINEYARD 

BRANCH   COLLEGE    OF 

AGRICULTURE 

DAVIS 


with    distributing^stand  at 
the  head  of  each  row  of  vines. 


Fig.  3. — Contour  planting  for  a  vineyard. 

The  vines  at  Davis  (see  fig.  3)  are  planted  8  feet  apart  in  the  rows 
and  the  rows  are  started  12  feet  apart.  If  the  slope  is  approximately 
even,  the  rows  continue  about  12  feet  apart.  As  the  slope  varies,  how- 
ever, the  spacing  between  the  rows  becomes  more  or  less  than  12  feet. 
When  the  land  is  so  steep  that  a  row  comes  too  close  to  the  last  the 
practice  is  to  end  this  row  and  start  a  new  one. 

Irrigation  systems. — A  vineyard  plan  should  include  the  location 
of  the  canals,  ditches,  pipes  and  outlets  of  the  irrigation  system.  The 
furrow  system  is  generally  recognized  as  the  most  suitable  and  for  the 


Circular  253]  VINEYARD  PLANS  11 

even  irrigation  of  all  the  vines  the  furrows  should  in  most  cases  be 
from  200  to  250  feet  long.  This  has  already  been  shown  to  be  the 
most  convenient  width  for  blocks.  There  should  therefore,  be  a 
supply  line,  permanent  or  temporary,  along  the  upper  side  of  each 
block. 

If  open  ditches  are  used  there  should  be  a  permanent  ditch  running 
along  one  side  at  the  ends  of  the  blocks  and  from  this  a  temporary 
ditch  along  the  upper  side  of  each  block.  Where  an  underground 
pipe  system  is  installed  there  should  be  an  outlet  at  every  second 
or  fourth  row  near  the  first  vine  along  the  upper  side  of  each  block. 
An  outlet  at  every  second  vine  though  more  expensive  to  install  saves 
a  considerable  amount  of  expense  for  hand  work  in  irrigation. 

The  water  outlet  should  be  in  line  with  the  row  of  vines  and  2  to  4 
feet  beyond  the  first  vine.  In  a  trellised  cane-pruned  vineyard  the 
most  convenient  position  for  this  outlet  is  between  the  first  vine  and 
the  trellis  post  (see  fig.  2).  In  this  position  the  post  protects  it  from 
being  run  over  and  the  post  is  less  likely  to  be  loosened  by  an  excess 
of  water  in  the  soil  around  it.  When  the  water  outlet  is  placed 
beyond  the  post,  a  brace  is  usually  needed  to  keep  the  wire  taut. 

Border  trees. — In  many  cases  it  is  advisable  to  grow  a  row  of  trees 
along  one  or  more  sides  of  the  vineyard  or  parts  of  it.  The  principal 
use  of  these  trees  is  to  serve  as  permanent  windbreaks,  and  they  are 
needed  wherever  there  are  heavy  prevailing  winds  during  the  growing 
season. 

The  proper  distance  between  the  rows  of  windbreak  trees  will 
depend  on  their  height  and  on  the  severity  of  the  wind.  The  effect 
of  the  windbreak  does  not  extend  usually  beyond  one-eighth  of  a  mile. 
In  very  windy  districts  it  is  found  advisable  to  divide  the  vineyard 
up  into  10-acre  pieces  each  surrounded  by  a  screen  of  trees.  These 
trees  require  room  and  vines  will  not  grow  and  bear  well  very  close 
to  them.  Some  trees,  such  as  cottonwoods  and  eucalyptus,  require  a 
great  deal  of  room;  others,  such  as  Tamarix  articulata  (Athol.)  com- 
paratively little.  If  a  row  is  planted  five  feet  from  the  outside 
boundary  of  the  vineyard,  five  feet  plus  the  turning  row  on  the  side 
of  the  vines  is  usually  sufficient  space.  Rows  through  the  middle  of 
the  vineyard  can  be  accommodated  by  doubling  the  width  of  the 
avenues  where  they  occur. 

Windbreaks  planted  in  this  way  surrounding  every  ten  acres 
occupy  about  10  per  cent  of  the  land,  but  the  protection  from  wind 
may  easily  increase  the  crop  more  than  this  and  much  improve  its 
quality.  Windbreaks  of  figs  or  olives  will  also  return  a  crop,  but 
their  rate  of  growth  is  too  slow  in  most  cases. 


12 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


The  amount  of  land  taken  up  by  the  windbreaks  may  be  dimin- 
ished by  having  the  rows  of  trees  only  in  one  direction  or  farther 
apart  in  the  direction  from  which  least  wind  comes.     Windbreaks 


PLANFOP4QACRF 


TRgLUSEPVJNE^RD 


HNC3  7FT  APART    ~    203FT    ROWS-I4FT 


APART  INflLOCKSOF  92  ROWS  -AVENUES: 


TURNING***  SIDE  SPACES  20  FT  ~  LINE  OF 


WIND  BREAK  TREE3  14  FT  APART  ONWE5T= 


NORTH— CENTER -DISTANCE  FROMBOUNf 


ARY  5FT  -  LATERAL  QH  SOUTH  S1PE 


Fig.  4. — Plan  of  a  40-acre  trellised  vineyard. 


running  north  to  south  every  660  feet  and  east  to  west  every  1320 
feet  may  be  sufficient.  The  windbreaks  on  the  east  and  south  sides 
may  also  be  omitted. 

Figure  4  shows  a  plan  for  a  cane-pruned  or  cordon  vineyard  with 
indications  of  the  position  of  border  (windbreak)  trees,  irrigation 
canal,  and  blocks  with  convenient  spacings  for  rows,  avenues,  turning 
spaces  and  side  spaces. 


